In August 2022, the German state of Lower Saxony launched the world's first full fleet of hydrogen-powered passenger trains on a regional network, replacing diesel trains that had operated the same routes for decades.
The trains, called Coradia iLint and built by French rail manufacturer Alstom, use hydrogen fuel cells to generate electricity for propulsion. The only byproduct released during operation is water vapor and condensation. There are no direct CO2 emissions from the trains themselves while they are running.
The technology addresses a specific and practical challenge in rail electrification. Installing overhead electric lines across every regional and rural rail route is expensive and in some cases not economically viable. Hydrogen trains offer an alternative that can run on existing track without requiring new overhead infrastructure, making them particularly relevant for lower-traffic regional routes where full electrification is unlikely in the near term.
The Lower Saxony fleet of 14 trains operates across routes connecting several towns in the Elbe-Weser region, covering distances of up to 100 kilometers per journey. The trains can travel approximately 1,000 kilometers on a single tank of hydrogen, comparable to diesel range.
One important honest note: the overall climate benefit of hydrogen trains depends significantly on how the hydrogen is produced. Hydrogen made from renewable energy, known as green hydrogen, delivers genuine emissions reductions. Hydrogen produced from natural gas, which currently accounts for the majority of global hydrogen production, carries its own carbon footprint. Germany is working to scale up green hydrogen production, but the full climate equation of hydrogen rail is still evolving.
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